The power dissipation of integrated circuit chips, and the modules containing the chips, continues to increase in order to achieve increases in processor performance. This trend poses a cooling challenge at both module and system levels. Increased airflow rates are often needed to effectively cool high power modules and to limit the temperature of the air that is exhausted into the computer center.
In many large server applications, processors along with their associated electronics (e.g., memory, disk drives, power supplies, etc.) are packaged in removable drawer configurations stacked within a rack or frame. In other cases, the electronics may be in fixed locations within the rack or frame. Typically, the components are cooled by air moving in parallel airflow paths, usually front-to-back, impelled by one or more air moving devices (e.g., fans or blowers). In some cases it may be possible to handle increased power dissipation within a single drawer by providing greater airflow, through the use of a more powerful air moving device or by increasing the rotational speed (i.e., RPMs) of an existing air moving device. However, this approach may become problematic at the rack level in the context of a computer installation (i.e., data center).
The sensible heat load carried by the air exiting the rack may stress the capability of the room air-conditioning to effectively handle the load. This is especially true for large installations with “server farms” or large banks of computer racks located close together. In such installations, supplemental liquid cooling (e.g., water or refrigerant cooling) is an attractive technology to manage the higher heat fluxes. The liquid absorbs the heat dissipated by the components/modules in an efficient manner. Typically, the heat is ultimately transferred from the liquid to an outside environment, whether air or liquid cooled.